Book Summary
Arianna Davis in the book "What Would Frida Do?" provides readers with a roadmap of the life of the prominent Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, so that they can be more courageous us in life and make more fearless decisions. Frida Kahlo is a painter whose works have always been admired by many people around the world, and when we read about her life during her lifetime, we will realize that her most extraordinary work was her way of dealing with various issues and can be inspiring to many people.
Her resilience in facing difficulties and managing what happens to her reveals a completely distinct aspect of her personality to the audience, and she teaches not only women but also men not to give up in the face of failure, to continue striving, and to show love to themselves and others. Frida faced various ups and downs, but she never gave up and as the famous saying goes, she took her fate into her own hands and faced stress and worries again. Davis’s simple and elegant language, in addition to the character she has chosen, has added to the appeal of her work, and since its first publication in 2020, it still holds a place among the best-selling books in the world. In any case, a book that receives praise from magazines, TV shows, and celebrities is worth reading, and it is recommended that you take the initiative to read it only if you can accompany it to the end, as it has engaging and attractive prose.
About the Author
Arianna Davis is an American writer currently residing in New York. In addition to her writing career, she is in charge of digital affairs at Opera magazine and has a background in media such as US Weekly. Davis is also considered an entertainment specialist and has written articles for magazines such as Glamour, Marie Claire, and PopSugar Latina.
Who Should Read the Book?
For those who read personal growth and self-development books to increase their motivation and energy in their study program, the mentioned work is recommended for reading.
Book Quotes
In the Blue House, there is a painting called "The Ruin" that Frida drew in 1947, and with each stroke of her pen, her emotions, including anger, sorrow, hatred, and messages, are clearly visible. Next to a tombstone with the words "bird's nest, love's nest, all for nothing" written on it, there is a fragmented image of her husband's face, Diego. Around his head are branches numbered from one to twenty; possibly representing extramarital relationships Diego had during his time with Frida.
If Frida wanted to love herself, what would she do?
Playing with eyebrows: Perhaps Frida's eyebrows are as symbolic as her light-hearted paintings, and this is not a coincidence. She was known for taking special care of her eyebrows not by plucking them to make them smaller according to the fashion of the time, but by using a Rolon eyebrow pencil to fill them in. Just as some of her belongings were seen in the V&A Museum in London in 2018 and the Brooklyn Museum in 2019, Frida was also a fan of other products from the Rolon brand, including lipstick and lip liner.
Drawing oneself: Well, of course Frida lived long before the iPhone era, so if you're not into painting, a selfie always works. Until you find the right angle, don't give up trying; out of her 143 paintings, fifty-five were self-portraits - and we only know those self-portraits. So if your phone's memory is full of pictures of yourself, don't be embarrassed because the best subject for photography that you know is yourself.
Attracting attention: Frida Kahlo loved expressing herself in society. Besides painting art, she was also a master at performing. In her first and last solo exhibitions of her works in Mexico, being bedridden and her illness prevented her from attending her own party and instead of staying at home, she took her sickbed to the exhibition. After being transported from the ambulance to the exhibition hall, she was placed on her decorated bed that she had received that day. So, if you felt a little upset, as long as you can love yourself, whatever it may be, you will only live once.
Their marriage almost ran into trouble from the very beginning. Frida remembers ending her wedding night in tears. "Diego turned into such a drunken creature that he pulled out his seven arrows, broke a man's little finger and other things, then we argued together, and I went back home crying." With this bad start on their wedding night Frida couldn't keep herself away from his love. "A few days later Diego came after me and took me to house number 104 on Reforma Street." Shortly after their marriage, they went to Cuernavaca in southern Mexico for their honeymoon. Frida wrote about the good days they both spent wandering, entertaining guests, and hosting lively nighttime parties, but those few months were not very ideal. Diego couldn't stay away from his work for long and soon returned to painting full-time and left his beautiful new bride alone most of the time. Even many of their friends suspected that during their honeymoon, Diego had been involved with his assistant, Yon Robinson.
